Zupancic Posted March 26, 2003 Share Posted March 26, 2003 I have a question. I followed the example at: http://www.soundwise.org/gethelp/dd512.html and my DD5.1 Does not work. I currently have my sound card(audigy 2) hooked up to my DD5.1 by going through the digital output on the card by using a mono cord with a mini plug on one end and a RCA on the other(Attenuatin Audio Cable)end going to the S/PDIF RCA jack on the DD5.1. I have the lines out from my subwoofer(promedia 5.1) going to the y-connectors to there respective parts. When I turned on my DD5.1 and it goes to auto select it reads unknown coaxial. Am I doing something wrong? Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy W Posted March 27, 2003 Share Posted March 27, 2003 Don't use an Attenuating Audio Cable. That will prevent the digital signal from ever getting to the DD-5.1. Get a y-adapter (stereo mini plug to dual RCA) and use the left (usually white or black) RCA connecter to go to the DD-5.1. Santa Cruz cards use the right (red) RCA. Also, IMHO, it's not a good idea to use a mono mini plug in a stereo mini jack (like on most sound cards) because it shorts the middle ring connector to ground. I can't prove that it will damage the sound card, but the stereo plug definitely will not. -Andy W Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zupancic Posted March 27, 2003 Author Share Posted March 27, 2003 I just went to creatives web page about the Audigy 2 and they stated: Connecting External Consumer Devices If your receiver has a Dolby Digital SPDIF-In, connect it to the Digital Out jack on the sound card with a 3.5mm mono stereo to RCA adaptor. I thought that the attenuating cable does this very thing, isn't that correct? I tried the digital out with a mini plug and a Y connection to the line ins, but that didn't work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ljcesar Posted March 28, 2003 Share Posted March 28, 2003 why connect to the DD-5.1 if you have an Audigy 2? The DD-5.1 is capable of Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS while the audigy2 can decode Dolby Digital 5.1 and EX 6.1 by hooking the analog outs to your promedia 5.1's. I see no real need for the DD-5.1 unless you want to watch DVD movies with DTS soundtracks on your computer. Granted the hardware preamp decoder is probably better than the Audigy 2's decoding abilities (assuming its like the SB Audigy which I have...which according to some online sources say the Dolby Digital Decoding in movies such as platoon do not allow the user to precisely hear the sound of gunfire going from rear left to front right) but unless youre a hardcore audiophile you wouldnt be able to tell the difference.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy W Posted March 28, 2003 Share Posted March 28, 2003 The attenuator cable might have the right connectors, but since it attenuates the signal going through it, it is impossible for the digital decoder to receive a valid signal. -Andy W Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
futon20 Posted March 28, 2003 Share Posted March 28, 2003 I am having the same problem with my DD 5.1. Will the y adaptor also work for a sound blaster live card? Will it still be a digital signal? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy W Posted March 28, 2003 Share Posted March 28, 2003 Yes. ---------------- On 3/28/2003 4:36:40 PM futon20 wrote: I am having the same problem with my DD 5.1. Will the y adaptor also work for a sound blaster live card? Will it still be a digital signal? Thanks! ---------------- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rivalsock Posted March 28, 2003 Share Posted March 28, 2003 If it is saying unknown coaxial you probably need to do the following (if you have a SB Audigy2) This worked for me. Have the mini-rca converter from digial out to the DD box. Now go to Start->All Prog->Creative->AudioHQ Once this opens open the Device Settings, the first tab is "Sampling Rate" with only 1 option to change "Digital Output Sampling Rate" Mine has 2 options 48KHz and 96Khz, it was set on 96Khz, soon as I switched it to 48Khz the DD box picked up the PCM signal - Dolby Digital movies work like a champ, haven't tested DTS yet. Also need to make sure that you have the Audigy2 set to forward the AC3 stream rather than decode it. You can do this on the Decoder tab. Hope this helps, let us know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zupancic Posted March 29, 2003 Author Share Posted March 29, 2003 I tried to do what you said, and it appears to be working, however, it only gives me stereo, not surround sound/THX/Dolby Digital. I'm running WinDVD and tried using Star Wars Episode 2, so I thought it would swap over to a different signal. Should I buy a true stereo mini to stereo mini and then just put on an adaptor? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swank Posted March 29, 2003 Share Posted March 29, 2003 ---------------- On 3/28/2003 1:17:34 AM ljcesar wrote: why connect to the DD-5.1 if you have an Audigy 2? The DD-5.1 is capable of Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS while the audigy2 can decode Dolby Digital 5.1 and EX 6.1 by hooking the analog outs to your promedia 5.1's. I see no real need for the DD-5.1 unless you want to watch DVD movies with DTS soundtracks on your computer. Granted the hardware preamp decoder is probably better than the Audigy 2's decoding abilities (assuming its like the SB Audigy which I have...which according to some online sources say the Dolby Digital Decoding in movies such as platoon do not allow the user to precisely hear the sound of gunfire going from rear left to front right) but unless youre a hardcore audiophile you wouldnt be able to tell the difference.... ---------------- I have a good reason .. The Audigy is a software decoder. Sure, it's a dedicated hardware sound card, but the algorithm for decoding Dolby Digital is done in software. (Don't believe me? Watch your CPU usage while listening to an AC3 soundtrack). Part of the imprecision you have heard about can happen if the CPU gets tied up like in high motion scenes of a DVD. I don't really care about that though, what really bothered me was the lag the software decoding introduced. When playing my XBox through the digital in on the Audigy, the sound wouldn't be in sync with the action. Not just a little bit either, sometimes the sound would happen half a second or more behind the action. Talk about annoying! I tested on three different systems, on the Audigy and Audigy2 using the SPDIF optical digital in. All showed the same symptoms, which narrows it down to the software decoding Creative uses. Creative told me to "lower the hardware acceleration on my video card." What? I said "no thank you, I will buy a real decoder" and got the DD-5.1. Problem solved, and movie soundtracks sound noticeably better too. Bonus! Now as far as your DVD movies being in stereo, you need to be sure that you have enabled Dolby Digital passthrough. Open up Creative AudioHQ->Device Controls->Decoder then turn off decoding by choosing SPDIF Passthrough. ALSO, you need to enable SPDIF out in your DVD player. I don't know which one you are using, but it will be on the audio options page. If the DVD software or your soundcard decodes the signal it will only be sent to the DD-5.1 in stereo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ljcesar Posted March 29, 2003 Share Posted March 29, 2003 ---------------- On 3/29/2003 9:08:16 AM Zupancic wrote: I tried to do what you said, and it appears to be working, however, it only gives me stereo, not surround sound/THX/Dolby Digital. I'm running WinDVD and tried using Star Wars Episode 2, so I thought it would swap over to a different signal. Should I buy a true stereo mini to stereo mini and then just put on an adaptor? Thanks ---------------- If using Intervideo WinDVD you have to enable S/PDIF output under the audio options tab in the configuration menu. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Amy Posted March 31, 2003 Moderators Share Posted March 31, 2003 Make sure WinDVD is configured for SPDIF output. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scouro Posted April 11, 2003 Share Posted April 11, 2003 Hi Peeps, Swank Thx for the help you have ben supplying me with, its been damn good. You rock. Well I got my Audigy 2, and I think it rocks with gaming all I can say is WOW. The positioning in the gaming is unbelievable. Just need 2 more bits of info to get it to work with my dd5.1. Since you have this card I hope you can help. My main Question is this, Under the settings in AudioHQ-Device Controls then Digital Input. I have 2 options SPDIF BYPASS or AC3 SPDIF IN-DECODE. Can you explain the 2 and which one should I USE? Under the Decoder Tab I set it to Spdif Passthrough. Thx Again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swank Posted April 11, 2003 Share Posted April 11, 2003 Thanks Scouro, I know how frustrating it can be setting this stuff up, so I don't mind helping where I can. The decoder tab is the only one you really need to set to passthrough. The Digital Input tab is for the digital inputs on the front faceplate. For example, before I had the DD5.1 I used to plug the digital out from my xbox into the digital in on my Audigy2. I could set the SPDIF option to AC-3 decode and the Audigy would decode the Dolby Digital signal for me and play it through my speakers. If I set it to passthrough, the Audigy would just repeat the signal through the digital out for an external decoder such as the DD5.1 to take care of. If you don't have anything plugged into the digital inputs, the tab doesn't affect anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynatnt1 Posted May 7, 2003 Share Posted May 7, 2003 Andy W are these the cables/adapters you're talking about? http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog_name=CTLG&category_name=&product_id=42-2551 http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog_name=CTLG&category_name=&product_id=42-2550 Basically they are the same cable but in different lengths. I believe this is what you are describing to connect to the digital out of the Audigy 2 and the white RCA connector to the digital coaxial in of the DD 5.1. Hope these are them, cause I wanna go pick them up from Radio Shack. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy W Posted May 8, 2003 Share Posted May 8, 2003 These will work. -Andy W Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynatnt1 Posted May 8, 2003 Share Posted May 8, 2003 Does anybody have an opinion on Gold Series cables versus regular cables. I have heard that gold resists corrosion and interference better. Is this true? Is the extra money worth the performance benefits? Thanks Dynatnt1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy W Posted May 9, 2003 Share Posted May 9, 2003 I'm a fan of the Radio Shack Gold series. Good quality cable and connectors. They are one of the few thing in the store that are actually worth the money. -Andy W Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scouro Posted June 28, 2003 Share Posted June 28, 2003 Swank I hope your still around If any of you guys or gals can help, I would appreciate it. I have the 5.1 PM, with an Audigy 2 Platinum.I want to listen to my rear speakers in stereo. The only way I can get them to work is with CMSS, im playing back mp3's and cd audio. The rears will work only with cmss and reverb basically. If anyone has a similar setup, I would apprecite the feedback on how to get the rears to function in stereo mode. Although, I CAN get my speakers to work in stereo, with my SBLIVE, and on board sound. System specs AMD XP2100+ Asus a7n8x-dlx Corsair Mem pc3200 Audigy 2 platinum Geforce TI 4600 128Meg Promedia 5.1 PM DD-5.1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swank Posted June 28, 2003 Share Posted June 28, 2003 Hey Scouro .. Unfortunately Creative decided stereo imaging from front to rear is not important and didn't include it on the Audigy Platinum 2. I had the same problem. I found though that if you turn on CMSS2 and one of the presets (Rock or Techno work best) it sounded OK. In your situation the only way to get true stereo imaging front and back besides a new sound card would be to get a Y-Splitter like this one and plug both the front and rear speaker inputs into the front channel output of the Audigy2. Of course for anything else you'd have to swap wires again. God bless Creative. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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